E-banking involves information technology based banking. Under this I.T system, the banking services are delivered by way of a Computer-Controlled System. This system does involve direct interface with the customers. The customers do not have to visit the bank's premises.
Advantages of E-Banking
- The operating cost per unit services is lower for the banks.
- It offers convenience to customers as they are not required to go to the bank's premises.
- There is very low incidence of errors.
- The customer can obtain funds at any time from ATM machines.
- The credit cards and debit cards enables the Customers to obtain discounts from retail outlets.
- The customer can easily transfer the funds from one place to another place electronically.
Popular services covered under E-Banking
- Automated Teller Machines (ATM)
- Credit Cards
- Debit Cards
- Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) System
- Mobile Banking
- Internet Banking
- Tele-banking
- Home banking
- Demat facility
- Cheques Truncation Payment System
Automated Teller Machine (ATM)
An ATM is a computerized Tele-communication device which provides the customers the access to financial transactions in public places without human inter-mention. It enables the customers to perform several banking operations such as withdrawals of cash, request of mini-statement etc. The advantages of ATM are:
- ATM provides 24 hours service: ATMs provide service round the clock. The customer can withdraw cash up to a certain a limit during any time of the day or night.
- ATM gives convenience to bank's customers : ATMs provide convenience to the customers. Now-a-days, ATMs are located at convenient places, such as at the air ports, railway stations, etc. and not necessarily at the Bank's premises.
- ATM reduces the workload of bank's staff.: ATMs reduce the work pressure on bank's staff and avoids queues in bank premises.
- ATM provide service without any error: ATMs provide service without error. The customer can obtain exact amount. There is no human error as far as ATMs are concerned.
- ATM is very beneficial for travellers: ATMs are of great help to travellers. They need not carry large amount of cash with them.
- ATM may give customers new currency notes: The customer also gets brand new currency notes from ATMs. In other words, customers do not get soiled notes from ATMs.
- ATM provides privacy in banking transactions: Most of all, ATMs provide privacy in banking transactions of the customer.
Electronic Transfer of Funds
This is an electronic debit or credit of customers account. Bank customers can buy goods and services without caring cash by using credit or debit cards. There cards are issued to thecustomers by the bankers. This system works on a pin (personal identification number).
The Customer swipes the card by using the card reader device to make the transactions. The development of electronic banking and internet banking helped the customers to utilize their services.
Tele-Banking
It is increasingly used in these days. It is a delivery channel for marketing, banking services. A customer can do non-cash business related banking over the phone anywhere and at any time. Automatic voice recorders are used for rendering tale-banking services.
Mobile Banking
It is another important service provided by the banks recently. The customers can utilize it with the help of a cell phone. The bank will install particular software and provide a password to enable a customer to utilize this service.
Home Banking
It is another important innovation took place in Indian banking sector. The customers can perform a no. of transactions from their home or office. They can check the balance and transfer the funds with the help of a telephone. But it is not that popularly utilized in our country.
Internet Banking
It is the recent trend in the Indian banking sector. It is the result of development took place in information technology. Internet banking means any user or customer with personal computer and browser can get connected to his banks website and perform any service possible through electronic delivery channel. There is no human operator present in the remote location to respond. All the services listed in the menu of bank website will be available.
Demate Banking
It is nothing but de-materialization. This is a recent extant in the Indian banking sector. The customer who wants to invest in stock market or in share and stock needs to maintain this account with the commercial banks. The customer needs to pay certain annual charges to the banks for maintaining this type of accounts.
Credit Cards
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services. The issuer of the card creates a revolving account and grants a line of credit to the consumer (or the user) from which the user can borrow money for payment to a merchant or as a cash advance to the user. A credit card is different from a charge card: a charge card requires the balance to be paid in full each month. In contrast, credit cards allow the consumers a continuing balance of debt, subject to interest being charged. A credit card also differs from a cash card, which can be used like currency by the owner of the card. Most credit cards are issued by banks or credit unions.
Debit Card
A debit card (also known as a bank card or check card) is a plastic card that provides the cardholder electronic access to his or her bank account/s at a financial institution. Some cards have a stored value against which a payment is made, while most relay a message to the cardholder's bank to withdraw funds from a designated account in favour of the payee's designated bank account. The card can be used as an alternative payment method to cash when making purchases. In some cases, the cards are designed exclusively for use on the Internet, and so there is no physical card. In many countries the use of debit cards has become so widespread that their volume of use has overtaken or entirely replaced the check and, in some instances, cash transactions. Like credit cards, debit cards are used widely for telephone and Internet purchases. However, unlike credit cards, the funds paid using a debit card are transferred immediately from the bearer's bank account, instead of having the bearer pay back the money at a later date.
Cheques Truncation Payment system (CTPS)
Truncation is the process of stopping the flow of the physical cheque issued by a drawer to the drawee branch. The physical instrument will be truncated at some point enroute to the drawee branch and an electronic image of the cheque would be sent to the drawee branch along with the relevant information like the MICR fields, date of presentation, presenting banks etc. Thus with the implementation of cheque truncation, the need to move the physical instruments across branches would not be required, except in exceptional circumstances. This would effectively reduce the time required for payment of cheques, the associated cost of transit and delay in processing, etc., thus speeding up the process of collection or realization of the cheques.